Ryan Syrek

A sequel nearly 20 years in the making, this self-serious superhero saga comes to a dull thud of an ending. Twists and turns that make no sense follow a laborious two hours during which you'll long for any other superhero movie but this one.Read more

One of 2018's most powerful films is an adaption of James Baldwin's work. Two young lovers are divided by a system that is as cruel as their bond is pure. If this one doesn't move you to tears, enjoy Green Book.Read more

Part biography, part condemnation of a war based on false pretense, this exploration of the impact Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) had on America is chaotic. Frustratingly good and frustratingly bad, this is one of the strangest movies of 2018.Read more

Sunk by a soggy and stupid script, the overlong film is palatable when it explores Atlantean epic battles but miserable when anyone talks to another person. Jason Momoa isn't charismatic enough to save something this bloated.Read more

This hallucinatory, inspired animated film is easily among the best of the year (not just animated films). Spider-powered people from various dimensions cross paths and try to get home. Trust me, it's way more fun than it sounds.Read more

Ralph and Vanellope travel into the internet to retrieve a replacement steering wheel for the broken arcade game in which Vanellope lives. It's the kind of busy, buzzy animated film that fills nearly two hours without really doing much of anything.Read more

Unlike the brilliant first installment, this hackneyed sequel handcuffs Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson with obnoxious cliches and betrays the nuanced messages and themes of the original. At least we'll probably get 5 more?Read more

A loaded cast led by Viola Davis stars in this heist movie set against a backdrop of corrupt Chicago politics. Perhaps it would have been a better fit on TV, where the brilliant cast and sprawling story would have had space, but it's still damn good.Read more

A genre-bending flick that mashes war-movie cliches with horror/sci-fi Nazi mad-scientist shenanigans, this almost-awesome endeavor is just a bit of wonky writing and poor pacing away from being a cult classic.Read more

A paint-by-numbers music biopic, this uninspired retelling of a truly inspired band wastes a great lead performance by Rami Malek. Instead, maybe watch Mr. Robot and listen to a Queen greatest hits album for a while?Read more

A patient and creepy, 10-episode horror show that is unafraid to explore sadness and mental health, this loose adaptation of an old gothic novel is close to being one of the best shows of this year. More like this please, Netflix!Read more

A remakebootquel that ignores all the sequels, this surprisingly savvy installment sees Michael Meyers once more square off against Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). This time, however, the subtext is all smartly about feminist escapism.Read more

A movie about a Spider-Man villain without Spider-Man in it, this movie was never going to make sense. And yet, between a crazy performance by Tom Hardy and silly-but-fun shenanigans in the last hour, it is a surprisingly fun total disaster.Read more